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Senior captain Tajanay Veiga-Lee scored a game-high 24 points and shot a perfect 7-for-7 at the line last night to lead No. 10 Fenway past No. 3 Shawsheen, 71-45, in the Div. 4 North semifinals at Malden High School.

Veiga-Lee helped turn a close four point game into a 10 point Panthers halftime lead when the senior guard stepped to the line with 14 seconds remaining in the half. Veiga-Lee made both free throws and then stole the inbounds pass and hit Cadieja Mathews for a quick bucket.

Immediately after, the Panthers picked off another inbounds pass and Veiga-Lee sunk a lay-up as time expired, giving Fenway the momentum heading into the locker room with a 30-20 advantage. The Panthers never looked back in the second half and outscored Shawsheen 41-25 in the final 16 minutes of the game to earn the right to play the winner of Mystic Valley and Whittier in the sectional finals.

“The run at the end of the second quarter was critical because you can either go into the locker room with the momentum holding a double-digit lead or give them the confidence knowing it's only a single-digit lead,” said Fenway coach John Rice. “We're doing some things well. We're making our free throws and we're bringing solid defense every night. You know the old saying, 'defense wins championships', and thats what we hang our hat on.”

With Fenway (13-7) trailing 19-17 with 2:16 left in the second, sophomore Jalissa Ross (eight points, eight rebounds) stole the ball in her own end and the 6'2'' center dribbled coast to coast weaving her way through defenders and finished a lay-up to tie the game at 19. From then on, Fenway took control of the game and would not trail again for the remainder.

Veiga-Lee took advantage of the momentum and the flashy guard wreaked havoc on the Rams, scoring 13 of her 24 points in the second half, including two 3-pointers. Takora McIntyre was also crucial in the win with 13 total points.

“They were just too fast for us and they're a real good team,” said Shawsheen coach Dick Barriss. “Veiga-Lee is just an outstanding player. She does what she wants to do, she's like a guy playing with girls out there. I tried multiple defenses and it really didn't make any difference.”